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CHAPTER XLIII. 383
Driven by lust, they strove to hoard up, which was dif¬
ficult to some, easy to others. All kinds of thoughts,
labours, and cares followed, and resulted in war, deceit,
and lying. The hearts of men were hardened, the
natures were altered and became exposed to diseases,
which seized hold of men and made them neglect the
worship of God and the furtherance of science. Igno¬
rance became deeply rooted, and the calamity became
great. Then the pious met before their anchorite
Krisa (?) the son of Atreya, and deliberated ; whereupon
the sage ascended the mountain and threw himself on
the earth. Thereafter God taught him the science of
medicine."
All this much resembles the traditions of the Greeks, Quotation
which we have related (in another place). For Aratus tus.
says in his ^aivoixeva, and in his intimations referring
to the seventh zodiacal sign : "Look under the feet of
the Herdsman, i.e. Al'awwd, among the northern figures,
and you see the Virgin coming with a blooming ear of
corn in her hand, i.e. Alsimdk Al'ctzal. She belongs
either to the star-race, which are said to be the fore¬
fathers of the ancient stars, or she was procreated by
another race which we do not know. People say that
in primeval times she lived among mankind, but only
among women, not visible to men, being called Justice.
She used to unite the aged men and those who stood
in the market-places and in the streets, and exhorted
them with a loud voice to adhere to the truth. She
presented mankind with innumerable wealth and be¬
stowed rights upon them. At that time the earth was
called golden. None of its inhabitants knew pernicious
hypocrisy in deed or word, and there was no objection¬
able schism among them. They lived a quiet life, and
did not yet navigate the sea in ships. The cows afforded
the necessary sustenance.
" Afterwards, when the golden race had expired and
the silver race come on, Virgo mixed with them, but